FROM BITTER ROOT VALLEY TO FORT HALL. 331 



rock, of a grayish yellow color, compact, hard, and striking fire with steel. The first mentioned 

 formation extends many miles in length, and is different from any rock we have as yet met with. 

 We saw to-day many sheep clambering high on the tops and slopes of the mountains, but so far 

 distant as to preclude all possibility of approach. The tracks of many were also discernible 

 along our pathway. Our guides in descending the mountains did succeed in approaching and 

 wounding one, though not so badly but that he succeeded in making his escape. It is truly 

 wonderful to see these animals travelling along the mountain ridges, climbing rocks and 

 leaping precipices truly awful to regard for a moment. Yet, with the agility arid fleetness of a 

 deer, they make their way across these apparently insurmountable obstacles, and seem not to 

 regard them. The enemy they fear the most is the wolf, which often pursues them in bands. 

 When pursued by these, their only safety consists in leaping a precipice or jumping down some 

 deep declivity, where the wolf dare not venture. Nature here comes to their relief; she has 

 gifted them with large strong horns, which in their descent of a steep hill receive the whole force 

 of ihe blow, and thus protect them uninjured from their enemy. Our guide mentioned that a 

 rule always followed by mountain hunters in shooting them when in bands, is, that if you are at 

 the top of a hill, always shoot the one farthest from you, and the remainder will be sure to make 

 their way up the hill for a short distance, when, stopping to see what has occurred, they afford 

 you a second shot; and if at the bottom of the hill, the same will follow, and they will descend 

 a freak unfortunate for them, but affording great sport for the hunter. These and a few ducks 

 constituted our game of to-day. After gaining the valley of the Medicine Lodge creek we found 

 the weather to be exceedingly mild, compared to what we found it on crossing the mountains 

 this morning; the thermometer at sunset was 32, and at 9 p. m. 26. 



December 10, 1853. Commences clear and cool, the thermometer at sunrise being 22. Anti 

 cipating a long day s march in order to reach wood and water, every one was turned out at an 

 early hour, when we were enabled to make an early start. We had a slight fall of snow during 

 the night, but not enough to cover the grass from our animals. During the early part of the day 

 our course still continued through the gorge of the mountain referred to yesterday, which retained 

 the same characteristic features as already mentioned. The sides of the gorge we found to be 

 mural precipices, formed of honey-combed ; scoriated volcanic rock, rising to a height of one 

 thousand feet above the valley. Our road still continuing very good, after journeying for a short 

 distance through this gorge our trail turned to the right over a very rough and rugged road, till 

 we gained the summit of a low ridge, which we followed over a very excellent road for a distance 

 of six or eight miles, having had an excellent and full view of the Snake River valley. Leaving 

 the river at this point, we could trace its many windings by the dark line of escarpment of vol 

 canic rock along the side of the mountain gorge. The river issuing from this gorge at a distance 

 of six miles, makes a great bend to the north-northeast, and again crossed our trail at a distance 

 of thirteen miles, when we found it to be from twelve to fifteen feet wide, and lined with the 

 cotton-wood tree. 



Our road, for a distance of five miles before striking this creek a second time, led through an 

 immense prairie covered with the artemisia, or wild sage, growing two feet high. On gaining 

 the ridge before referred to, we came in view of the &quot;Three Tetons,&quot; which we could see far 

 in the east, with their lofty tops covered with the glistening snow, towering high in the clouds. 

 On each side of these Tetons lay a high ridge of snow-clad mountains, of which the Tetons seem 

 to occupy the middle or central portion. The word &quot;Teton&quot; is applied to high, towering and 

 prominent peaks of a mountain range that rises above the remaining portion of the ranges. To 

 our right lay, also, the &quot;Three Buttes,&quot; another prominent land-mark in the Snake River valley. 

 The butte farthest to the west and north is the largest of the three, and at present is covered with 

 snow, while the other two are of an equal size, and no snow is to be seen on them. These buttes 

 form, as it were, high and prominent islands in the ocean of prairie by which they are surrounded. 

 The word &quot;butte&quot; is applied &quot;to high elevations of land, too high to be called hills or ridges, 



